WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15005, 29 May 1912, Page 10

WOMAN'S WORLD.

GIRL FRIENDSHIPS. / A gibx's love for another girl should bo 'encouraged for many reasons, not only because affection wherever bestowed is the best of educators, but that by its power young hearts are preserved from'too early an acquaintance with Cupid's darts. A real girlish friendship satisfies the vague longing to love and bo loved in a girlish heart until the real fairy prince comes alon". The girl who has never known the joy ot a girl friend often imagines herself in love with anyone who may cross her path, and is ant to grow morbid for lack of a confidant, and takes longer to develop mentally dimply from the lack of a trusted someone with whom the ideas that she is too shy to voice to the rest of the world can be exchanged with safety WEARING THE FAN. There is a wide choice now in fans, and it is expected that this very_ decorative addition to the toilette will be much more worn this season than for many past ones. A fan so tiny that it can ho. in the hollow of the hand is a perfect marvel of workmanship, with its mother o' pearl sticks and its painted leaves. It is enshrined in a small satin bag, winch accommodates also a lace-edged handkerchief and a pair of opera-glasses. But the opera-glass is less used now than formerly. It is not considered a necessary item of the theatre toilette any more. That is whv there is much more chance for the fan's restoration, for with less to carry, women are more likely to bring out their old fans once more, or the new ones they are given. NO FLOWERS. "No flowers" is quite the latest wrinkle for table decoration for a dinner party. A dinner table without flowers sounds dreadfully bare, but the idea is to have silver so exquisite that it is sufficient decoration in itself. If a hostess is fortunate enough to possess some unique and beautiful piece of silver, let her put that in the centre of the table and rejoice that the newest fashion relieves her from the necessity of hiding it behind vases of flowers. Silver candelabra can hold candles, and there should be no other light, for a dimly illuminated diningroom is exceedingly "smart." The only hints of colour will be in the plates, wines, and viands. In a certain big city a-Japaneso dinner was given not long ago that was much talked about afterward. Down -the length of the old mahogany table was spread a scarlet satin panel, gorgeously embroidered in black and gold, with a mountain and river design, Fujiyama showing whitecapped at one end, of course. Then —and it was a pity no children were there, for tins would have delighted children— this background was a complete Japanese scene skilfully set forth in little stone figures, a temple, a bridge,, dwarf trees, little houses, and the figures-of the Orientals at work, play or prayer. The light ing was done with bayberry candles in silver-bronze candelabra in the guise of dragons, taken from some ancient temple, very old and rare. There were a few white cherry blossoms in %, quaint silver ■.vases. The dinner consisted of Japanese foods served by Japanese "boys" in crestembroidered coats. The women had been requested to dress in black, white, gold, or scarlet, so the effect was very artistic. FAMILY QUARRELS. *' Family quarrels," remarked the social observer, "are not always such a bad. thing, for by them the surcharged air is cleared, and, after the mental bruises have healed, either peace is complete, or there has been made a-good riddance of some bad rubbish. " The cause of more than half the family scraps that are scrapped to a finish," she continued; " is the * in-law.' A man or a woman marries someone absolutely antagonistic to all the other members of the family, and then, putting this person on a pedestal, demands that all shall do her or his wilL For the sake of courtesy, often a whole* family will yield many points, and gradually the * in-law* becomes more and more insistent, and so things drift along, always the one side giving in, until some straw, some trifle, will prove the drop too much, and after that the fracas. With the air cleared, a beginning can be made over again on a basis of equal rights, or else all intercourse can cease. Either way much has been gained." A NET BLOUSE. Always iron a net blouse on the wrong side while it is quite damp, with a clean and moderately hot iron. This will cause the net to _ stiffen well. Lace may be treated satisfactorily in the same way, and will look new after the process. QUESTIONS FOR SENSIBLE MOTHERS. Mrs. Sophie Knightley, writing in the Standard, puts a few questions which, she says, sensible mothers should ask themselves, and be satisfied if they can answer them truthfully:— 1. Am I living according to my station and income 2. Am I really doingrmy level best for my children's welfare? 3. Am I giving them false ideas of life with its grave responsibilities and splendid possibilities ? 4. Is t>he education of my girls "solid throughout" or merely veneer? 5. Am I honestly training my girls to be fit wives and good, intelligent mothers ? or 6- Am I playing the big empty game of "make-believe" that leads to a corrupt luxury? With a -view (Mrs. Knightley continues) to investigate the conditions generally of the " make-believe" type of mother, J attended a typical " at homo" together with a mutual friend. We are admitted by a young daughter of the "flapper" species, who is most profuse in her apologies for " being without a maid." In this tiny doll house drawing-room there are already assembled some six or seven ladies, all dressed in the latest fashions, : from the seal-coney, or cat-coat, to the grey suede-upper boots. I cannot say I was impressed with any air of real elegance or refinement, and I am afraid that in comparing the simple, charming manner of the really cultured woman of today, with her perfect gloves, boots, and well-groomed, well-tubbed appearance of skin and hair, there is a great gulf betwixt them and my friends of the doll's house " at home. • PERFUMES AND HANDKERCHIEFS, v 5? new perfumes of the season are delightfully fresh and piquant, odorous of the violets early roses, wallflowers, lilies of the valley, and other flowers. It is nob only the scent but the way in which it is bottled that makes a gift of perfume one of the most delightful and welcome of offerings. *A fascinating way of bottling scent is that of a famous French firm which is making use.of ground glass for the purpose. The bottles are round and flat, some like the flasks hunting men carry in their pockets, other about 6in high and of large circumference. It is possible to buy the pound glass in various tints such as a beautiful amber, a very pale mauve, sea green, and glacier blue. The scents are exquisite, and bear the name of a distiller who is a veritable wizard in extracting and combining the subtle and delicious adours of flowers. The Silken Handkerchief. i It is perhaps natural to mention handkerchiefs in connection with perfumes though it is not upon her mouchoir that the modern belle uses perfume. She scents her toilettes in a much more subtle way by means of sprays and sachets that leave only a hint of perfume behind them. Still there is news to impart concerning handkerchiefs, and it is that a small coloured silk square is the choice of the fastidious woman.of the present moment The squares are of one shade even to the border, which is of a very - narrow; persuasion.. * ~ ~~ "■. -."'■■' ~ '-'*

It «i smart to repeat one of the .tint,.®® the toilette by means of the handkewSL? should a purple hat bo' worn a tSSfW® handkerchief is tucked into tho fc«n?lN»Jl tho coat, or is shown juat oroergujc the small breast or hip pocket. 'mm If a vivid splash of jrreen anriM« « •''V.-iM the dress the' handkerchief draws £ tion to it by being just as preen t!°* iW rose, blue, mauve it matters not i£t:f colour 13 wanted it can be procured.in it ! «Ji dainty little silken square that is-tK'nl fancy of the hour, ***?. The new handkerchief for .IM wear has flat folds of white nnl M round the hemstitched edge and Li. mouchoirs can also be obtained with®? fH slight (iiAeronco for the moraine toilette. " if . U '° , >0 ! ' ."f the evening handkerchief ,; >H is about two inches wide, so that there I I only the very tiniest square of linen in V -1 ccntre, and fa tlx- very middle of it i! if placed the monogram But the momin* *'1 mouchoir has a rather larger cenirTof 1 linen and a white net border r,f I'■ ■ half an inch in width. of-aboa* 1